With the New Year comes new resolutions. What are your resolutions for the year?

Personally, aside from continuing the Good Reads Challenge for 2015 (where I have resolved to read 24 books!), I’ve resolved to become financially healthier! Well actually, I also started last year with this resolution.

For years since I stared working, I have been one of those people who’ve been living paycheck to paycheck. Yes I would have savings stashed in my bank account but after awhile the money I’ve put in there would start to deplete until my savings account was almost empty. Whenever I had a windfall of money (company bonuses, money from my sideline jobs, etc.), my first thought was not how to grow it but where to spend it.

I was an impulsive buyer who frequented the mall and loved eating out – that had been my lifestyle and I enjoyed it. My mindset had always been “I’ve worked hard for this money. I deserve to treat myself” and you know treat myself I did – here and there…

But then I saw this Sun Life commercial:

You know that part where the girl in the TVC asks herself “Upgrade today? Or upgrade for the future?” when she saw a nice pair of heels in a shop’s window? That had quite an impact on me because I was just like that girl!

A second, closer and more honest look at my financial status and I realized you know if anyone asked me how much my net worth is, I wouldn’t even be able to say “Bunny, I’m worth a million” ala Charlotte York.

Last year I decided to change that. One of the things I tried was to take on the 52 week challenge – an idea I got from Joei’s blog. At the end of the year, the idea was that I’d be able to save over Php60k just by starting at Php50 on the 1st week of the new year!

Unfortunately, while it seemed like an easy enough idea to do, I didn’t make it to the finish line of the challenge since as the weeks progressed, the amount of money I had to stash became larger and therefore heavier on my pocket even with a couple of lifestyle changes.

But I’m still determined to save up. And while I’ve been thinking of taking on the 52 week challenge again, I saw this article from Yahoo Philippines – a reverse 52-week money challenge! At the end of the year, the idea is I’d be able to save over Php13,000.

Sure it’s a far cry from the Php60k the original 52 week challenge presented but I think this is more doable for me as a starting point. The objective anyway is to have savings at the end of the year!